I want to put emphasis on the fact that something is rare

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alpacinou

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I want to put emphasis on the fact that something is rare. Is there an idiom for that that can be used to complete this?

Putting on her jack, Anna reached a hand to Jane. "Come on. Snap out of your funk. Let's go to a bar. Maybe we can meet some good, funny guys tonight."

Anna stared at her hand and said, "Good, funny guys are as rare as ... these days."

I thought about saying as rare as diamond, but that's a cliche.
 

Charlie Bernstein

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I want to put emphasis on the fact that something is rare. Is there an idiom for that that can be used to complete this?

Putting on her jacket, Anna reached a hand to Jane. "Come on. Snap out of your funk. Let's go to a bar. Maybe we can meet some good, funny guys tonight."

Anna stared at her hand and said, "Good, funny guys are as rare as ... these days."

Anna is holding her hand out. Why is she staring at it?

I thought about saying "as rare as diamonds", but that's a cliché.

Instead, why don't you try suggesting a few so we can tell you what works well?
 
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emsr2d2

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... as rare as padparadscha sapphires.
... as rare as Ruby Roman grapes.

I think you need to find things that are rare but at least people have heard of. I've never heard of either of those things so I would have no idea how rare (or otherwise) they are.
 

Charlie Bernstein

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I think you need to find things that are rare but at least people have heard of. I've never heard of either of those things so I would have no idea how rare (or otherwise) they are.
I LIKE "rare as padparadscha sapphires"! (Although Ems is right, using it might be risky.)

Good start, Al. What else can you come up with?
 

emsr2d2

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A common idiom in the UK is "... rare as hen's teeth".
 
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